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Senate Passes Bill That Would Extend Unemployment Benefits

WASHINGTON (Bloomberg News) — The Senate on Wednesday approved a $138 billion measure that would extend unemployment benefits and provide additional aid to states in lawmakers’ second major effort this year to help the economy.

The vote was 62 to 36. Six Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the bill; the only Democrat to oppose it was Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

The legislation, which now goes to the House, would also extend dozens of expiring tax cuts and head off cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors.

President Obama said in a statement, “I am grateful to senators in both parties who took one more step forward today in getting our nation back on a solid economic footing.”

Last week the House passed an $18 billion plan offering companies a tax break for hiring people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days. That measure is awaiting final approval in the Senate.

The bill approved Wednesday would extend until Dec. 31 expiring provisions in the law that offer as many as 99 weeks of unemployment checks, along with a 65 percent subsidy to help buy health insurance through the Cobra program.

The bill would send $25 billion to states struggling with tax revenue to help prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers and other public service employees. It would spend $6 billion to prevent for seven months a 21 percent scheduled cut in Medicare reimbursements.

A version of this article appears in print on March 11, 2010, on page A19 of the New York edition with the headline: Senate Passes Bill That Would Extend Unemployment Benefits. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe